Does a Fresno parent’s bad behavior shine a light on larger issues that teachers face?
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Happy Tuesday! It’s May 24. This is the Ed Lab’s Engagement Reporter Lasherica checking in.
One event can have a way of spotlighting local and national issues, like last week’s incident at a Fresno elementary school when a parent “barged” into a classroom and threatened a teacher.
Reading Julianna’s story sparked a few things for me: how behavior has changed during the pandemic; how students and parents are transitioning back to in-person classes; how schools handle discipline; what teachers are going through; and what services districts can provide.
Hear me out.
The pandemic was tough – to say the least. Many students were at home, struggling with their academics, mental health and/or basic needs.
Students and their parents have coped differently with the transition back to the classroom, including by acting out.
After educating their children for the last three school years, many parents might see a better way of doing things — maybe better than the teacher — or may seek to handle things the way they have when students were at-home learning.
But also, thanks to the pandemic, school districts can utilize virtual schooling models to keep students in class while they’re in trouble.
Of course, all of this adds to the many duties teachers have and what they deal with daily.
Whether it’s incidents like this or not, teachers are asking for more support, which is a leading factor in why they may stay or leave their jobs.
Read a previous story about what Fresno and Clovis teachers want.
Check out the full story on the parent threatening the teacher at this link.
Ed Lab reporter awarded for coverage of bad adult behavior
But the incident at Pyle Elementary School in Fresno is just the latest example of local adults misbehaving at school functions.
Last year, adults booed a Clovis student who encouraged mask-wearing and immunizations as a means of helping protect students and teachers with compromised immune systems.
Ashleigh won first place in the 2021 California Journalism Awards for Coverage of Youth and Education for the story!
“This reporting captures a poignant microcosm in the increasingly hostile culture fomenting among parents in public school districts across the country, and will hopefully compel more calls for constructive engagement by all parties in local government as well as more civility,” a judge said.
Fresno Bee Editor Joe Kieta said Ashleigh’s story was a proud moment for the Education Lab and The Fresno Bee.
“Ashleigh’s story helped amplify a student’s voice and put the spotlight on the school board that failed to protect the student — Rami Zwebti — who is the real hero in all of this,” Kieta said. “It’s a great example of journalism at its finest because it helped to elevate the voices of the students most affected by the decisions adults make.”
You can read Ashleigh’s award-winning story here.
Here are two other stories that show how the situation involving Rami played out following Ashleigh’s reporting.
Clovis school board promises ‘change’ after adults bully student during public meeting
Weeks after being booed by adults, Clovis student returns to school board to speak out again
Speaking of Ed Lab coverage, here’s more work from the Ed Lab.
The latest from the Bee’s Education Lab
Fresno teachers want millions in new student and staff investments. Can FUSD afford it? The teachers union wants Fresno Unified to build student housing, provide space for homeless families, and give some teachers lifetime benefits.
Fresno’s Save Mart Center swells with pride as Chicano/Latino grad ceremony returns. Fresno State’s Chicano/Latino Commencement Ceremony returned to the Save Mart Center in 2022 after a two-year break due to the pandemic.
Fresno State makes Money’s list of nation’s best colleges for quality and affordability. The university ranked No. 29 in the top 50 list, as one of 11 California State University campuses that made it. In its subcategories, Fresno State ranked No. 25 for Best Public Colleges and No. 17 for Best College in the West.
Citing racist papers, Fresno State formally asks CSU board to rename Henry Madden Library. Fresno State President Saul Jiménez-Sandoval on Wednesday sent a letter formally recommending the California State University Board of trustees remove Henry Madden’s name from the library, Fresno State officials said.
Fresno’s Black student leaders demand more action in wake of racist Bullard High photo. About a dozen students spoke out at the Fresno Unified School Board meeting Wednesday night, demanding an update on the district’s response to a racist photo taken at Bullard High school that emerged online about two weeks ago.
Fresno-area graduates haven’t had to pay student loans. What did they do with the money? The average student loan borrower in Fresno County owes $32,996 in either federal or private loan debt and pays $202 a month. Over 45 million Americans currently have a federal student loan.
More Fresno-area education news
Shovels went into the ground last Tuesday in preparation for Central Unified’s new elementary school at 4108 W. Shields Ave.
Construction is expected to start in late fall for what will be a neighborhood school for families living in the area of Shields and Brawley and families moving into new housing
developments west of Interstate 99, a media release from the school district said.
Designed by PBK Architects, the multi-million dollar, “state of the art” two-story school will have 31 classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a library, baseball/softball and soccer fields and basketball courts with capacity for 750 students and space for growth.
Edison High School’s graduating class includes 160 students who have earned a Seal of Biliteracy. The seal, attached to their diplomas, recognizes students who have a “high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English,” according to a Fresno Unified School District media release.
Even though Edison has the district’s highest number of students with a seal in Spanish, Hmong or French, about 470 total students earned the seal, including more than 60 at Sunnyside High and over 40 at Bullard High.
“Earning a Seal of Biliteracy benefits students immediately on a college or job application, and in the years to come if they decide to pursue a minor or major in their second language, or a career that requires skills in more than one language,” Fresno Unified said.
Fresno Unified is offering more than 40 free summer camps for students in transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade, starting in July.
The camps will start after the district’s June Summer Academies that support “academic growth in literacy and math for elementary and middle school students and provide credit recovery and accelerated classes for high school students,” the district said as part of its media release about the summer camps.
Spots are limited, and registration ends June 3.
Want more education news? Here’s what we’ve been reading
Julianna’s list
U.S. Dept. of Education extends deadline for schools to spend Covid relief funds The original deadline was Sept. 30. 2024. School districts now have until at least spring 2026 to help those whose efforts to spend grant money was hindered by staffing shortages and other obstacles. | EdSource
Native American Students May Gain Better Access to UC with New Aid Program ``Tuition at the University of California soon may be free for American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) students who are California residents. The UC Native American Opportunity Plan, announced in April by University of California president Michael Drake, begins in fall 2022 with tuition assistance funded through existing state and institutional aid programs. The plan could encourage California AIAN students to enroll in greater numbers, which may improve representation at UC.” | Public Policy Institute of California
Lasherica’s list
California set to launch hundreds of community schools with $635 million in grants | EdSource
For decades, there have been alternatives to the traditional K-12 classroom and way of learning, including community schools.
Rob’s list
Inexperience, understaffing, missteps plague Fresno State Title IX office, records reveal
The Title IX office at Fresno State for years has not just been understaffed, but staffed with what appears to be under-credentialed employees when compared to other campuses in the California State University system. | The Fresno Bee
Christian school in Fresno County faces civil suit by former students who allege sex abuse
Two former students of the Riverdale Christian Academy are suing the school and the church that operates it in west Fresno County for allegedly allowing one of its teachers to sexually abuse them over a period of several years. | The Fresno Bee
In the San Joaquin Valley, rapidly growing school districts endure overcrowding
For decades, the San Joaquin Valley has been a destination for young families seeking affordable housing. Enrollment in the San Joaquin Valley grew 24.5% before the pandemic, and it dipped only 1.1% since 2019. | EdSource
The C.D.C. recommends Pfizer-BioNTech boosters for children 5 to 11.
A third dose would enhance immunity to the coronavirus, the agency said. But hesitancy is high, and less than one-third of children in this age group have received two doses. | The New York Times
This Company Will Pay You $1,000 to Take the SAT
The folks over at Learner, a virtual tutoring company, want to see how adults perform on the SAT in comparison to high school students. | Thrillist
Have a story tip or idea?
When we’re not educating ourselves or writing stories to keep you informed, we’re looking for ways to engage with YOU.
Contact us by email with questions, concerns, feedback or even compliments! We want to hear from you.
Email our Higher Ed Reporter Ashleigh Panoo, the lab’s K-12 Reporter Julianna Morano, the lab’s Engagement Reporter Lasherica Thornton or our editor Rob Parsons.
This story was originally published May 24, 2022 at 9:14 AM.
